DA: McKeesport woman accused of plotting to take neighbor's home

A McKeesport woman forged a will and other documents as part of a scheme to take the house where her elderly neighbor lived, then rented out the home after the neighbor died, prosecutors said Friday.

"It's just been chaos since this lady came into my life," said Raymond Conway, who filed a complaint against his landlord, Mary Mechelli.

Conway said Mechelli scammed him out of rent and robbed his livelihood after accusing him of terroristic threats, and made him lose his trust in women. "She's had me thrown in jail, the lady. She's the devil," he said.

But with the help of a letter he sent to the District Attorney's Office, the 54-year-old Mechelli was arrested Friday on a host of charges, including felony theft, forgery and insurance fraud. Conway said his experience with her started in 2010 after he rented a home on Scott Street from Mechelli, who identified herself as the owner.

"Within the two years I lived there, I kept getting little things in the mail telling me she didn't own the house and I was paying her rent regularly," said Conway.

He discovered that the mail belonged to 79-year-old Margaret Dorn, who used to live in the home but fell down the steps and later died, months before he moved in. "I just don't understand how she got away with it for this long," he said.

According to court documents, an investigation that lasted more than year revealed a plan of deception. Investigators say Mechelli forged Dorn's signature on a will, falsely identified herself as Dorn's niece and stole nearly $4,000 out of Dorn's bank account. The notary who notarized the documents admitted she failed to follow proper procedure, documents say.

"I'd rather have more cancer than to deal with this lady, turned my life upside down," Conway said.

Tracy Argyle said she has lived on the same street as Mechelli for years. She said the woman turns falsely accusing different neighbors of harassment.

"If I'm sitting on my porch, I watch her pull in, she gives me the finger and says I'm stalking her," said Argyle.

The tenant took it upon himself to locate Dorn's real niece -- whom investigators contend was Dorn's only known surviving relative -- and that woman told him "that she didn't even know that Mrs. Dorn had passed away," according to a criminal complaint.

When the tenant pressed Mechelli for answers about whether she owned the home and how, she gave him a letter written by a Pittsburgh attorney, dated Feb. 6, 2012, that identified Mechelli as the home's legal owner. Mechelli evicted the tenant two weeks later, and he complained to the district attorney's office a few weeks after that.

The Associated Press is not identifying the attorney because he has not been charged. The attorney did not immediately return a call to his law office seeking comment.

Mike Manko, a spokesman for the DA's office, said only that the investigation was ongoing.

Conway said he's relieved his former landlord is in jail, but he wants action against the judge who helped Mechelli evict him. Others said they plan to celebrate the woman's arrest.

"We're happy. We're going to have a little block party," said Argyle.

Mechelli was taken to the Allegheny County Jail for arraignment and was released Friday evening. She remains free while she awaits her preliminary hearing date.

Copyright 2013 byWTAE.comThe Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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